Mirror Images
by Incompetence
Summary: KaoruHikaru Life for Kaoru was always enjoyable. He lived in a small, yet humble home with his mother, spending his sixteen years peacefully. But suddenly, after receiving a letter from a father he never knew he had, things begin to get messy...AU
1. Prologue

Genre: Romance, Comedy.

Rating: M

Pairing: Kaoru and Hikaru.

Warning: Language, Incest, Slash, And Future Sexual Situations.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Ouran High School Host Club.

Summary: Life for Kaoru was always enjoyable. He lived in a small, yet humble home with his caring mother, spending his sixteen years of existence peacefully. But suddenly, after receiving a letter from a father he never knew he had, things begin to get a little messy. Especially when he meets his new brother…

**A/N: **Written Sunday, September 3, 2006.



"In the real world

as in dreams,

nothing is quite

what it seems."

--_The Book Of Counted Sorrows _



**Mirror Images**

Prologue

On that Saturday in December, when his life changed forever, Hitachiin Kaoru woke with a headache, developed a sour stomach after washing down two Motrin and a glass of old Coke, guaranteed himself an epic bad-hair day by mistakenly using his mothers shampoo instead of his own, acquired a paper-cut, found his summer homework swarmed with ants, eradicated the pests by firing a spray can of insecticide, cleaned up the carnage with old paper towels and hummed _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_ as he solemnly consigned the tiny bodies to the trash can.

Throughout this all, he remained upbeat about the day ahead, because from his mother, Hitachiin Yukino, he had inherited an optimistic nature, formidable coping skills, and a deep love of life in addition to green eyes, auburn-brown hair and a girlish figure.

_Thanks a lot, Mommy._

After convincing his ever-hopeful mother that he'd be able to finish his insecticide-soaked homework later that day, Kaoru slipped into a small, denim jacket and took his over weight beagle, Queen Alexandria, on her daily morning walk.

Along the whetstone of clear eastern sky, the sun shone brightly, sending sharpened scalpels of light out to cover nearby buildings. Out to the west, however, a harsh breeze pushed malignant masses of dark, heavy winter clouds along.

The beagle regarded the skies with concern, sniffed the cold air softly, and perked her floppy ears at the sound of snow-laden trees swaying gently in the wind. Clearly, she knew it was wintertime and that another snowstorm was due to come anytime now.

On most mornings, Kaoru walked his pooch for an hour along the overly populated streets of Tokyo, but he had a special obligation to fulfill on every Saturday that limited their excursion to the small time of twenty minutes.

Queen Alexandria seemed to have the days marked off in her furry head, because on that certain day, she always hurried along, never dawdling or straying behind. On these days she usually finished her business closer to home, as if she understood that Kaoru needed to be there to eat breakfast.

This specific morning, only half a block away from the house, she now huddled behind her favorite tree, lifted her short, stubby leg awkwardly and looked around as if she were embarrassed by the lack of privacy. And she probably was. Kaoru never could have imagined the humility of having to pee in front of hundreds of peering eyes. The thought alone made his face burn in shame and embarrassment.

Less than half a block further, the beagle was preparing to finish up her second half of morning business when a few elderly people walked by, startling her. She poked her head out from behind a nearby tree, thoroughly convinced that the wrinkled, decaying humans would reappear.

"It's okay." Kaoru tried to console the scared dog. "The bad, old people are gone. It's safe now."

Alexandria seemed unconvinced but still nonetheless came out of hiding, her faith in her master overpowering the fear she had been experiencing earlier. All the while, Kaoru waited patiently. He was blessed with Hitachiin Yukino's patience, too, especially when dealing with Alex, whom he loved almost as much as he might have loved a daughter if he had one.

He never could have gotten mad at the sweet-tempered dog. She was so innocent that it would have seemed wrong to have anyone yell at her for something so insignificant.

As the dog finished up, Kaoru suppressed a shiver as a sudden gust of cold air whipped around his body. Several strands of his auburn-brown hair were sent cascading around his pale face, successfully rousing a small groan of annoyance past his soft, pink lips.

The tall boy waspishly pulled his thin jacket tighter around his skinny body in hopes of fighting off the oncoming winter breezes. Deep down, he already knew that it would be getting colder soon, if the icicles forming on roofs were any indication.

Winter had just begun and Kaoru knew that it would only continue to get chillier as time went on and days passed. White fallen snow still lingered on the grounds, glowing brightly from atop nearby trees, bestowing a certain surreal quality to the land surrounding them. The days had been coming to an end earlier than usual, giving people less time to finish their daily chores and more time to dedicate to sleeping. While this aspect might have thrilled others, the sixteen-year-old was anything but pleased. Kaoru never really liked to waste his time doing nothing while knowing there were hundreds of other things he could have done. Productive things. Like for example, remembering what he'd eaten for breakfast over the past week.

As he took in a deep breath of lung stinging, December air, Kaoru quickly took note of the fact that his hands were now gripping onto the loop of the dog leash as if his life depended on it.

This was probably the thing he disliked most about winter. The cold, while being somewhat refreshing at times, had a tendency to make him become forgetful of what he was currently doing. It also tended to get nerve-racking after having to wear extremely uncomfortable clothing for more than two months.

As Kaoru felt the leash in his cold hands being pulled along by the eager beagle now in front of him, he let his thoughts stray to his friend Mori, who was the one to purchase his winter wardrobe, as well as the tiny jacket he now wore.

'_I wonder what he's doing now.' _He fathomed silently, mind already buzzing with all sorts of ideas of where his long time friend could be. But deep inside, no matter how many things he came up with, the smart part of his brain already had a feeling as to where the stoic boy was.

'_I bet he's with Hunny.'_

It wasn't really a secret to him anymore that Mori had a crush on the smaller teen. And it wasn't a little itsy bitsy crush like the kind elementary school kids had. It was a _humungous _crush He still felt inexplicably stupid for not realizing how painfully obvious it had been, what with all the timid smiles and awkward glances cast between the two friends. For a while, he simply wondered how he _couldn't_ have known for so long. It had taken him a whole three years to actually catch on.

For quite some time, Kaoru remembered he had found himself madly jealous of Hunny's adorable looks and innocent personality. The child-like teen had everything he could possibly want. For example: While the boy's eyes were a multitude of luminescent colors, all of which seemed to portray whatever mood he was in perfectly, his own had always been on the dull side. Sort of like old, dusty emeralds. And while Hunny was short and petite, Kaoru was tall and skinny, owning long legs that stretched out farther than most. It just wasn't fair how his friend had everything he _wanted_ in appearance, when he had exactly what he _didn't_.

But still, if he had to choose, the only real flaw Kaoru saw the sixteen-year-old having was an unhealthy obsession with sweets.

Honestly, it disturbed him on how many sugary confections Hunny could indulge himself with. From strudels and pies, to other various types of pastries, it wasn't exactly very hard to please the blond-haired youth. Yet, no matter how terrified and repulsed Kaoru was at Hunny's eating habits, he couldn't help but think about how easy it was to pick the boy out a present. A couple bags of candy always seemed to pull through.

Sometimes he felt himself get angry with Mori when the said boy spent more time with Hunny than he did with him. But Kaoru knew that he shouldn't be over sensitive about it. He understood that if he had a chance to be with someone he liked, he'd grab that opportunity faster than the average person could blink. He would probably grab that opportunity without thinking twice, not caring about what might happen next.

But that was just him. Mori was a completely different and more complex person. The tall boy had probably thought through all of his actions before actually acting on them, taking the time to come up with a precise plan before confronting Hunny.

"_Kind of scary," _Kaoru thought with a small grin dancing across his pale face. _"But still smart."_

By now, he had taken notice of his breath, paying attention to the puffs of air as they took on a whitish-hue. Just a small hint of exactly how cold it was starting to get outside.

"I should probably hurry up and get home before I turn into a snowman." Kaoru mumbled out lowly, a small hint of humor lacing his voice. The thought of him actually morphing into a useless pile of shredded ice was highly amusing. It just went to show how much he was in dire need of a funny side capable of telling jokes. You see, he'd never been particularly funny…

Letting out a small, good-natured chuckle at his stupidity, Kaoru finally realized that Alex had led him home. They were now nearing a small house that stood smack dab between two others: its paint freshly coated and glistening alongside the old slushy snow that covered the sidewalks.

Already Kaoru could feel his nose begin to sting lightly and it didn't take him long to guess that it, along with his cheeks had probably turned a rosy red color by now.

He surveyed the nearby houses as he passed them, wondering if anyone had been at the windows to see his current state, hoping that he hadn't actually looked as silly as he'd felt.

In this small neighborhood, the homes were generally old and small, although most possessed more charm than some of the people currently residing in them. It was usually hard to have any privacy here. Since the houses were packed together so tightly, Kaoru sometimes found himself becoming uncharacteristically claustrophobic.

As Kaoru opened the wooden gate that stood proudly at the north side of the house, he followed Alexandria along the stone walkway to the mailbox; there he pulled up the lid and reached inside, clutching onto many letters as he withdrew. This was one of the many little things he could do to help his mother out during the day. It made him happy to know that he could make her hectic life a little more bearable.

When the dog accompanied him up the side steps and across the porch, Kaoru fished a pair of keys out of his jacket pocket and unlocked the door. Lightly twisting, he felt the door give way with a shrill squeak, making him want to cover his ears. Instead he refrained, quickly slipped inside and closed the door soundly behind him.

"Wilma! I'm home!" He called happily, moving aside to allow Alex access into the heated home first.

Pulling off his shoes, throwing his keys down and taking his first steps, he could already begin to feel the warmth seep into his body and heat up his once freezing limbs. It felt inexplicably good to be out of the cold and in a building with a working heater, not having to worry about obtaining frostbite or going into a state of hypothermia.

"It's good to be home."

Queen Alexandria barked her agreement at his statement, waddling over to a small bowl placed on the ground before beginning to enthusiastically lap water from it. Kaoru knew that the dog would be there for a while, so he went on ahead, leaving her behind to enjoy some relaxation time alone.

Sauntering down the hall, Kaoru scratched the back of his head. His frizzy, un-brushed hair hung in erratic clumps all over his face, but he held no concern anymore in his current state of disarray—predominately because nobody except his mother was likely to comment on it. That aside, the only thing he had on his mind was what his mother had made for breakfast, even though by now, it was already past the time they regularly ate. He sighed, his small shoulders slumping a bit as he turned into the dinning room. Now the likelihood of having something warm to eat was rather slim.

Whistling a random song that he'd heard before but couldn't quite place where, Kaoru pushed the heavy kitchen doors open and entered. He took measured steps as he walked forth, his long legs daintily stretching out in front of him as he closed the distance between him and his destination.

When he came inside, the kitchen was practically glowing as he looked about, its old granite counter tops emitting a lemony-fresh sent as he passed them by. The familiar fragrance tickled his nose pleasantly, allowing him to let out a sigh of contentment, as well as an animalistic growl from his stomach.

The tiles on the floor were sparkling brilliantly as he walked upon them, not a speck of dust present to tarnish them out of their beauty. A dim light shone peacefully overhead, casting queer shadows across the room and onto the walls, reminding him of a giant painting he once saw in a book.

All in all, Kaoru thought the ambiance it roused was gorgeous. At that moment, he once again understood exactly why this was his favorite place in the whole house. Because even though the home was smaller than most, him and his mother took great pride in keeping it neat and tidy.

Clearing his mind of all previous thoughts, Kaoru finally noticed that he'd reached the kitchen table, its oak wood surface staring up at him proudly. Years of use had begun to take its toll on the piece of furniture, its battle scars consisting of long scratches and dents embedded in the wooden surface. But still it stood after enduring the abuse, refusing to be thrown away.

Smiling fondly, Kaoru dropped the letters he held in his hand onto the table, watching quietly as they splayed out gracefully.

—"Come to Sally's Salon! The bigger your hair, the more we'll care!"

—"Our product will make your hair grow in less than a minute or your money back! WARNING: DO NOT USE IF BALD."

Laughing lightly and scanning over a few more of the advertisements, he was just about to turn around in search of something to eat when he suddenly saw a piece of mail poking out from behind the others with his last name written on it.

Freeze.

Curiously and quickly looking back down at the table, Kaoru searched through the letters, all thoughts of food fleeing his mind. He successfully pulled out the manila envelope and let out a small victory cry, the name written on it looking up at him tauntingly.

'_Hitachiin Mamoru'_

He could already begin to feel his heart constrict painfully, a feeling of anxiety shooting down his back and all the way to his toes. A million thoughts coursed through his head as he silently mouthed the name, testing it out on his tongue before letting his fingertips glide over the letter's smooth cover.

Before he knew what he was doing, Kaoru felt his fingers rip through the envelope, successfully pulling out a small, neatly typed up piece of paper.

As he slowly looked through the letter's contents, he felt his body begin to shake and his throat begin to dry. It hurt for him to swallow now, his tongue rough like sandpaper and feeling just as thick.

Even as Kaoru let the letter drift slowly from his hands and onto the floor, he couldn't stop the new found information from entering his tired brain.

'_I never even knew I had a brother…'_

**A/N:** Good grief, I'm sorry about the shortness of this chapter. But you have to remember; this is a prologue after all. Prologues are supposed to be short, yeah? Anyways, I do plan on continuing this story. It's going to be a Multiple Chapter fanfiction, as well as an Alternate Universe. Weird, huh? I haven't seen many long stories with Kaoru and Hikaru paired up, so I finally decided to write one of my own. I promise that the next chapter will be much longer than this one is. Hopefully it'll be written better too… And I'm sorry if the prologue seemed rushed and not detailed enough. I'll take care of that next time. After all, it's hard to write things when you're only fourteen-years-old. I guess a lot of the things I write don't seem grown up enough. So please, somebody tell me if I should continue writing this. Constructive Criticism is definitely welcome. **Reviews** would be nice. In fact, they would be _very_ nice. (Insert Smile Here) –_Incompetence_

© Copyright 2006 Incompetence (Fanfiction ID: 984898). All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without the written consent of Incompetence.


	2. Chapter One

Genre: Romance, Other.

Rating: M

Pairing: Kaoru and Hikaru.

Warning: Language, Incest, Slash, And Future Sexual Situations.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Ouran High School Host Club.

Summary: Life for Kaoru was always enjoyable. He lived in a small, yet humble home with his caring mother, spending his sixteen years of existence peacefully. But suddenly, after receiving a letter from a father he never knew he had, things begin to get a little messy. Especially when he meets his new brother…

**A/N: **Written Saturday, June 03, 2007. This is an alternate universe, therefore the characters will be slightly O.O.C. Don't like it? Don't read, please.

§ § §

**A Few Responses:**

**Rukia-sama **- I based the dog off of my own. I'm not sure yet if Mori and Honey are going to be prominent characters in the story.

**KittyBlue **- Soon. Hopefully.

**crepes **- You hit the nail on the head. I'm still playing around with a few plots, though.

**Tori Mustang **- An autograph? Oh, my.

**Miyamashi** - I have yet to see many good stories for this pairing, so I decided to write one of my own. This way, I can have things happen _my _way, ha-ha.

**Mink-chan15 **- Ha-ha, you're close.

**Eloarden Dragoon **- Oh, I know! I don't understand how there can't be more multi-chaptered stories with this pairing. There _are _a few of them around the internet but they are so short. It makes me sad, really.

**Elle the Brat **- Thank you very, very much for your advice! I'll keep it in mind.

§ § §

"Life is an unrelenting comedy.

Therein lies the tragedy of it."

--_The Book Of Counted Sorrows _

§ § §

_**--- "Dear Yukino,**_

_**This is probably the hardest letter that I've ever had the displeasure of writing. I have had so many feelings over the past few years as I've thought about this day, the day I've known I'd have to give up the one thing most precious to me. I wonder if there were something I could have done to improve our relationship and make this easier; it seems that is not the case now. The fact that our children haven't had the chance to be close is the fault of both of us. But it's long time we made things right, exactly like we agreed so many years ago. So, without further ado, I shall be making arrangements for Hikaru to arrive in Japan two weeks from now. He's quite excited about meeting his brother, Kaoru, for the first time. Do treat him well. He can be...quite a handful at times.**_

_**--- Sincerely, Hitachiin Mamoru."**_

**Mirror Images**

Chapter One

§ § §

That night it snowed, and Kaoru lay fully awake in bed. His dog Queen Alexandria had fallen asleep hours before, nestled against his side as he watched the snow fall down from the window on the opposite wall. Everything was quiet, and the usual sleeping snores of his mother were drowned out by the gentle thrum of snow piling against the rooftop outside. The brass gutter rattled in quick succession with each collected droplet of snow, and Kaoru tried to focus on that instead of his troubling thoughts.

Right now Kaoru lay on his back with his heels spread to the corners of the bed, his emerald eyes open and looking up at the ceiling. His window was open, too, the curtains drifting back and forth in the breath of a winter breeze, snow drifting in from time to time to lay on the window sill, and from the same window in his room came the sound of automobiles driving by.

He rarely got this nervous.

It was like an unspoken Hitachiin behavior--Hitachiins didn't get nervous.

His long, pale fingers grasped at his bed sheet in a desperate search for comfort. His grip was a bit weak, but he could tell that his knuckles were turning white nonetheless. He didn't know specifically how long he'd been in this position and to tell the truth, it was irrelevant.

Still, Kaoru had learned years before from his mother to look at his emotions in the abstract, to turn them over like coins in his hand and explore them. He was trembling in his bed, that was true. He was traumatized from knowing what was coming the next day, that was true. He was afraid because he was confused, that was true.

What was also true was that as sure as he was laying in his bed clutching the sheet, he could see himself the next day, close to bawling his eyes out in front of his mother, begging her to not to open the door, begging her not to let in the one person that was making him act this way in the first place.

'_My brother…'_

It was that thought, more than anything else that horrified him.

Though it had been two weeks since he had found the letter, it had been two horrifyingly long weeks that he knew would change his life forever. It had possibly been the slowest two weeks in his whole life. But then again, he had a good reason to be this way.

He was going to meet his _brother_.

How was he to know that his own mother had been keeping his brother a secret from him for his whole sixteen years of existence? How was he to know that she had been waiting until they both turned of age to introduce them to one another, all because of a stupid divorce? It was completely idiotic, leaving Kaoru feeling cheated and upset. Yet somehow, an underlying feeling of excitement still treaded along the edges of his anger.

Kaoru frowned inwardly at himself as he tried to cast those thoughts aside, his chest heaving as he tried to control his breathing. Ever so slowly he shifted his vision to the tiny clock that sat on his dresser, its florescent neon lights glowing in the shadowed room. For a few moments he felt blinded, the sheer brightness temporarily obscuring his sight, before meshing together to form numbers. Just the sight of the clock sent shivers of unease throughout his entire body.

Less than twelve more hours.

Groaning inwardly and rubbing the sore muscles in his neck in vain attempts at relieving the pain that had accumulated there over the night, Kaoru let his sleep deprived brain do the only thing it could think of at the moment. This was his last resort for temporary peace.

He grabbed his pillow, covered his head, and drowned himself with thoughts of the good old days. Days when he didn't have to worry about having unknown blood relatives coming to live with him, days when all he did was worry about his school work, making sure his mother didn't tire herself out...

It wasn't long before Kaoru felt his eyes begin to shut, letting his emerald colored irises close behind heavy lids.

And then came the darkness.

§ § §

A steady stream of late morning sunlight peeked over the snow-covered sill of the open window. It crept slowly across the long expanse of wooden floor, slithering up the side of the bed where it continued its journey, dipping into the creases and hollows of the blankets. From there, it slowly proceeded to inch up closer and closer to the pillows, casting light on the sleeping figure there. Kaoru's eyes squeezed tight in protest, a groan escaping from his dry, sore throat as he rolled over and as a result, accidentally pulled the covers off of his body.

In doing so, he made two very important discoveries. The first of which being that he had forgotten to close his bedroom window the night before and the second being that he had slept on his arm the wrong way. Kaoru groaned again, half in pain and half in annoyance, before throwing his good arm across his eyes to block out the sunlight.

Kaoru tried opening his eyes again, only to be met with pain. Ignoring it as best he could and not moving an inch, he spent a long time trying to stare at the popcorn on the ceiling. It was out of focus and it took him several minutes to realize why. He disentangled his hand from beneath the cotton sheets and slowly propped himself up, using the sore one to awkwardly rub his eyes. Too heavy to hold up any longer, the hand dropped to the white bedspread beneath his body.

Stretching lazily, Kaoru let out a long, pained sigh and thought about getting up. But he didn't know if he could, considering how welcoming the bed felt beneath him. The thought of leaving it made his head ache and his arm feel even worse. Glaring slightly at the window as the light continued to burn his eyes, he murmured and turned away. Pulling the covers back over his shoulder, he wiggled down into the warm depths, already missing the cotton against his skin.

It was only at that point that he realized what day it was. He threw back the bed covers and his slightly blurred gaze took in the fact that he was still dressed in what he had worn the day before. He grimaced at having slept in his clothes and tried to remember what had happened.

Slowly at first, then gathering speed, the memories of his previous two weeks began to surface. Walking the dog...The letter... His mother saying his brother would be arriving today...

Oh God. A hand went to Kaoru's forehead.

He sighed deeply, before tentatively flexing a leg out from under his blankets. Considering how upset he'd been the night before, Kaoru was feeling surprisingly well. Maybe the whole brother thing had been just a dream... But even Kaoru knew he'd never have been capable of thinking up something like that.

Kaoru finally pushed himself up onto his elbows and looked over at the alarm clock on his dresser, hoping to find out what time it was. Reading the numbers written out for him, he saw that it was a little past seven in the morning.

Blinking a few times to clear the sleep from his eyes again, he stretched, letting out a small groan as his back popped.

_Bang._

Kaoru's eyes flew wide open with fright, though he was so exhausted and muddled that for a moment he wasn't actually sure whether he was asleep or awake. He wondered for a moment if his back has actually made that sound before something hit against his window again with the same loud, thumping sound.

Confused and tired, Kaoru stumbled out of his bed and to the slightly open window, blinking any lingering sleep from his eyes with each careful step.

A huge, towering shape now shifted back and forth on the other side of his window, knocking on the glass with a vengeance. Kaoru staggered back in shock, his mind racing with possibilities before suddenly coming up with only one sure answer.

He groaned in horror.

He already knew it could be none other than Mori.

Kaoru choked back the angry retort threatening to force its way out of his throat. He had to be quiet. He honestly didn't want to wake his mother up from her slumber because then she'd make him meet that _person._

_Oh, God. I definitely don't want that._

"Kaoru." A cold voice hissed from outside. Frost gathered on the glass as the voice spoke, obscuring Mori's already twisted features even more. "I'd appreciate it if you opened the window all the way."

Kaoru only needed a few seconds to shake off any excess anger before he moved, hurrying to the window and shoving it all the way open. The sky was still dimly lit from the sun as it poked out from behind the clouds, but it was enough for Kaoru to catch site of Mori's big frame.

"Just what do you think you're doing, Mori?" Kaoru demanded through clenched teeth.

Mori was hanging precariously to the very top of the window sill, which was strangely more than five feet off the ground because of a hill underneath. His weight was noticeable from the bending of the metal, which looked ready to give under Mori's powerful, yet graceful form. The thin branches on a bush by the tall boy's feet scratched against the side of the house with a squeal, causing Kaoru to wince inwardly.

"I'm trying to..." --- Mori huffed out in a light voice, leaning on his elbows for leverage --- "climb through your window."

Kaoru blinked his sleepy, tired eyes stupidly, suddenly sure that this was all some kind of weird dream.

"I can see that."

Clearly not amused by this, Mori let out a snort, lifting his body up so that his stomach could rest on the sill.

"Move." He ordered gruffly.

"Huh?"

He pulled a leg up, swinging it backwards and forward first, before pulling the other one up beside it. Kaoru realized a little too late what he was preparing to do.

"Mori, no!"

With a moan of pain, Mori launched himself into the room, tumbling to the ground and almost knocking Kaoru's night stand over in the process. With a thump, he hit his head on the floor instead and soon silence took over.

Heart beating erratically in his chest, Kaoru took a minute to calm himself down. Terror was slowly building up in Kaoru's throat as he watched his best friend lay on the floor motionless. He wouldn't have been surprised if the boy were dead by now. Kaoru could see it now.

_Death by window sill. _Now, _that _would have sucked.

A few more tense moments went by and to his shock, and temporary delight, Mori quickly jumped up to his feet with a low thud, causing the items in Kaoru's room to shake from the force. He noted, with slight annoyance, that the boy didn't seem in the least big fazed from the fall. Sadly, however, it wasn't the same for his floor.

For a while they both stared at each other. Turning automatically to the door, each holding their breath, they waited to see if they had woken Yukino. For a few brief seconds nobody moved.

As Mori's labored breathing quieted, another sound entered the mixture, this one starting farther off, but growing increasingly closer, slowly louder. With a start, both boys registered it as the unmistakable sound of approaching footsteps. Kaoru panicked.

_Shit._

Stumbling, Kaoru practically threw the other boy into his bed, the annoyance written across his face as Mori silently cried out in slight surprise. Acting of their own accord, Mori's hands shot out, fluttering frantically to somehow stop his sudden fall. He wasn't quite sure what he was planning to do, but it didn't have the desired effect. Well, at least not in the way he had intended. If he had been able to look back on it, he probably would have been embarrassed on how disheveled he appeared to be. This was definitely not turning out to be one of his better days.

In the panic and confusion, Mori had somehow ended up half-ways laying across the bed, his arms actually wrapped around _Kaoru_ in what looked like a murderer strangling his victim. As soon as he realized what he was doing, Mori quickly pulled back, hoping he hadn't completely squashed his best friend, sitting up on the edge of the bed just as Yukino burst into the room.

"Kaoru! Where are you? Are you okay? I heard a loud noise and..."

The woman's voice became unbearably shrill as she continued to fret and both Kaoru and Mori had to fight down the temptation to cover their ears in pain.

"What were you thinking?" Kaoru whispered angrily while pulling himself together, making sure his mother didn't hear. "Did you come here just to wake my mother up?"

Mori stared silently, his face blank with surprise.

"No." He whispered back stubbornly. "I came here to keep you company."

"Kaoru," Yukino interrupted, "baby, are you boys alright? And what's Mori doing here in the first place?" Kaoru could hear suspicion dripping from her words as she spoke. They practically slithered along the edges like a snake, making Kaoru double think his response quickly.

The auburn-haired boy took a deep, calming breath, trying to force the annoyance out of his tone. This was exactly what he had been hoping to avoid. Rubbing his sore arm, Kaoru turned to face his mother, half expecting her to have a panic attack right in front of him.

"I was having a nightmare." He slowly explained, hoping she wouldn't catch wind of the lies rolling off his tongue. Yukino's eyes widened momentarily before going back to normal. "Mori...remember how you let him spend the night last night? You remember, right? Well, I had a nightmare and Mori tried to help wake me up. I guess I kind of freaked out..."

Kaoru trailed off, hoping his mother would get the idea. He also hoped that his excuse would be enough to convince Yukino nothing bad had been occurring. Even if it wasn't, he was almost sure that she wouldn't do anything irrational to go against her own son's words.

For a few moments, Yukino looked torn. Still feeling the remnants of anxiety that had yet to drain out of her body, Kaoru watched as a million emotions splayed out over his mothers face. Finally, she seemed to collect her thoughts and let out a heavy sigh.

With a tired mumble about breakfast, the woman turned on her sock-clad heal and slowly walked out from Kaoru's bedroom, leaving both boys occupying the room slightly hesitant.

Well, _that_ had been surprisingly easy. And more than a little bit annoying.

Kaoru held the blank gaze of Mori for moment, before swallowing nervously and looking elsewhere -- anywhere would do, as long at it wasn't at Mori. He tried to find something to look at. Nervous? Was Mori making him nervous?

Kaoru peeked down at his hands twisting the material of his shirt and realized he was. And it got worse the longer he thought about things. How could he have been so mean to his best friend like that? What was he now thinking behind that stare? He tugged unconsciously at his shirt and again met the other's gaze. Clearing his throat, he spoke with a voice that was just a little bit sore.

"Mori."

There was no immediate response. Instead the said boy continued watching him for a long moment. Kaoru waited for him to speak, but instead Mori turned on his heel and started to leave, making a sign for Kaoru to follow him. Blinking in surprise, Kaoru stood there, staring at the door for a while, before quickly following his friend down the hall before he was left behind with his thoughts.

The kitchen was warm and the smell of fresh baked bread wafted from the oven. The table had been set for breakfast and steam spiraled from both tea and coffee pots. He lifted the cover from one of the serving dishes.

Picking up the tea pot and sitting beside the silent Mori, Kaoru filled a cup and added more sugar than was good for him. It tasted like heaven on his tongue and his eyelids fluttered closed for a moment in appreciation.

The air around both boys was still thick with apprehension but was steadily dwindling down as they poured their tea. Kaoru could tell that he had been forgiven already and to tell the truth, he was relieved. It had been stupid of him to accuse his best friend of something untruthful. But naturally, Mori had known. He'd never been more thankful for having a friend with a level head on his shoulders.

Kaoru sighed heavily in thanks before continuing to watch his mother cook. It seemed like she was cooking a lot more than usual.

"What's the matter, dear?" Yukino asked her son politely, stirring the pot of tea occasionally. "You've been sighing constantly for the past few days. Something you want to talk about, kiddo?"

"Nothing much." Kaoru shrugged before allowing his auburn hair to dangle close to the cup of tea, then flicked it at Mori, watching in entertainment as the boy made no move whatsoever to get from his line of vision. Even as some of the tea dripped down the side of his face, the boy continued to stay indifferent, trying to ruin Kaoru's small form of fun.

Raising an eyebrow, Kaoru took a big drink of tea. Bringing his face close to Mori's, he opened his mouth wide, and let the tea dribble over his grinning lips.

"Grow up." said Mori.

Kaoru finally laughed, happy to have gotten at least some reaction. Things felt like normal for a few moments, and as far as he was concerned, normal was good.

"Grow up like you? No thanks."

Mori ignored him, as usual, and instead stared at his untouched cup of tea.

"Cut it out, you two." Came the stern words of Kaoru's mother. But even she couldn't manage to keep the slight smile off of her face. "We don't have time to be practicing bad manners; after all, Hikaru will be joining us very soon."

And just like that, the mood was practically _ruined_.

"What do you mean, _soon_? I thought he wasn't supposed to arrive for another few hours." The sudden fear and panic that took residence inside him now were enough to fill a person full to bursting.

Kaoru had only felt true panic a few times in his life. The first time had been when he was but eight years old. His mother had decided that he was old enough to have a grand tour of the neighborhood, weaving tales of the history of each house into their conversation as they went. Caught up in the stories, Kaoru had taken a wrong turn, quickly becoming lost from his mother, Yukino. Devastated, he had cried his eyes out until finally, the woman found him sitting outside their neighbor's house.

It was an embarrassing story, yes, but it had scared him nonetheless. It was how he felt now, not being able to do anything about the situation, completely lost and not knowing how to act. Ms. Hitachiin raised a hand to her forehead, rubbing between her eyes tiredly.

"Honey, I know you're nervous, but don't you think you're overreacting just a bit? There's nothing you can do about it, Hikaru should be here any minute now and you are going to behave. Do you understand?" Rarely did Kaoru's mother get so angry. Her cheeks were already painted a faint pink, her nose arrogantly turned up in the air. It was obvious that the woman was getting annoyed quickly and he felt horrible for making her feel that way. With a slight waver in his voice, he dismissed himself from the table, walking slowly up the stairs and into his bathroom. He wasn't aware of the concerned pair of eyes watching him as he left.

He felt so nervous, his thoughts were practically swimming around his mind. Feeling nausea sweeping through his stomach, Kaoru rushed to the toilet, and rested his head down on the porcelain.

_Am I really overreacting?_

Maybe he was but that didn't mean he was going to stop anytime soon. His heart was racing, his mouth was dry, even more so as he heard the one thing he'd been dreading all morning.

The doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!"

§ § §

**A/N: **Well, I hope this chapter got things moving along... Sorry about the extremely late update. I know this chapter was very boring but just think, I'll definitely be having Hikaru arrive next chapter. The next chapter will be out as soon as I make time to actually sit down and type. Hopefully it won't take as long as it did to get this chapter out, but I can't make any promises. Criticism is very much appreciated. Flames will be used to heat up the left-over food in my fridge. Good-bye for now.

**Many Thanks To My Reviewers: **KeveTenjoin, TwilightMystery, crepes, LilTamaAngel, Shadow Priesstes, Umenoukoji Yuuhiru, plamacheto14, hearmei, Tori Mustang, Miyamashi, 01-FAD3D, Mink-chan15, windwitch08, Ahnouthei, rAiNwAtEr, The BlessedDemon, Nokturnal Augury, animelovernumber1, Akai-Akegata, nicha, Kitty Blue, Guardian Fox, Kehrico, Rukia-sama, Ranma Higurashi, SuicidalKitsune, Chi-chan Lurks, Kamly, Eloarden Dragoon, Yun-Ah, Bakura-star-Ryou-cutie, Nekyou86, syntic, panchuu, GlorysGirl4ever, miME-chan, Meine Welt, and my anonymous reveiwer! Sorry if I misspelled any names or forgot anyone. Thanks again.

© Copyright 2007 Incompetence (Fanfiction ID: 984898). All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without the written consent of Incompetence.


	3. Chapter Two

**Genre: **Romance, Other.

**Rating: **M

**Pairing: **Kaoru and Hikaru.

**Warning: **Language, Incest, Slash.

**Disclaimer: **Zero minus zero equals zero. One plus one equals two. I do not own any of the characters from Ouran High School Host Club.

**Summary: **Life for Kaoru was always enjoyable. He lived in a small, yet humble home with his caring mother, spending his sixteen years of existence peacefully. But suddenly, after receiving a letter from a father he never knew he had, things begin to get a little messy. Especially when he meets his new brother…

**A/N: **Written Sunday, September 30, 2007.

§ § §

"If you, if you could return  
Don't let it burn, don't let it fade  
I'm sure I'm not being rude  
But it's just your attitude  
It's tearing me apart  
It's ruining everything  
And I swore, I swore I would be true  
And honey so did you  
So why were you holding her hand  
Is that the way we stand  
Were you lying all the time  
Was it just a game to you

But I'm in so deep  
You know I'm such a fool for you  
You got me wrapped around your finger  
Do you have to let it linger  
Do you have to, do you have to  
Do you have to let it linger

Oh, I thought the world of you  
I thought nothing could go wrong  
But I was wrong  
I was wrong  
If you, if you could get by  
Trying not to lie  
Things wouldn't be so confused  
And I wouldn't feel so used  
But you always really knew  
I just wanna be with you."

- _Linger, _The Cranberries

§ § §

**Mirror Images**

Chapter Two: A Familiar Face

§ § §

_Am I really overreacting?_

-

Maybe he was but that didn't mean he was going to stop anytime soon. His heart was racing, his mouth was dry, even more so as he heard the one thing he'd been dreading all morning.

-

The doorbell rang.

-

"I'll get it!"

-

Just as he thought his day couldn't get any worse, Kaoru heard the handle of the front door twist ever so slowly; it twisted around in synch with the millions of butterflies as they fluttered excitedly around his stomach. His mother's usual excited babble floated upstairs and into his ears. He felt like he was going to die that very moment.

-

'_If I died, would it get me out of meeting with my brother?'_

-

One could only hope.

-

Kaoru looked into the mirror, sharing a long-suffering look with his reflection. Both were in total agreement about the latest injustice committed against them by his mom and the man she'd divorced more than sixteen years ago.

-

It was _their_ problem, not his. He didn't want anything new entering his life at the moment and he had hoped his mother would understand how he felt. But it would seem that that was not the case, if the way events had turned out where any clue.

-

Reaching up a hand to rub at the dark circles underneath his eyes, Kaoru watched as his reflection mimicked him. Touching the surface softly with his fingertips, he sighed.

-

After a while had passed, he turned his head away from the mirror and glanced at the small digital clock they kept on their bathroom counter. Kaoru wondered how long it would take before someone came to get him. Flopping his hair over his forehead and resting his head against the wall, he tried to slow down his rapid breathing. Maybe, if he stayed in here long enough, they'd forget about him.

-

It wasn't as if he were interested in mingling with them, anyways.

-

_'Okay, that's a lie...'_

-

No matter how much he might have denied it, Kaoru couldn't help but wonder what the boy downstairs looked like. Perhaps his brother had been graced with his father's looks instead? Snorting, Kaoru found himself gazing at his body in the mirror once more.

-

'_Or maybe we share the same, girly figure.' _The possibilities were endless.

-

Or maybe, just _maybe_ his brother played chess. If so, wouldn't he be considered a Dork? How about a Jock-like football player? Was he one of those Emos with their guy-wearing-girl's pants weirdness and those awful bangs that covered half their faces?

-

It was possible that maybe he was one of those freaky Goth kids who didn't like to bathe much. Was his mother going to make him associate with a Goth kid? Or worse, a Gangster?

-

As for Kaoru, he didn't particularly like wearing black, at least not exclusively, and he wasn't feeling a sudden and unfortunate aversion to soap and water. Nor did he have an obsessive desire to change his hairstyle and wear too much eyeliner.

-

All this whirled throughout his mind while he felt a little bubble of nervous laughter try to escape from his throat and he was almost thankful when it came out as a cough instead. He _really _hoped his brother didn't turn out to be a druggie.

-

Covering his mouth with his hands, he barely had time to register the knocking coming from behind. Stilling himself, Kaoru tried to stay as quiet as possible. Maybe if he stayed silent enough, the person would go away.

-

_Knock, knock._

-

Or maybe not.

-

_Knock, Knock, Knock._

-

"Go away." He whined.

-

The knocking was persistent and booming, indicating that the mood of the person on the other side of the door was anything but negotiable.

-

Taking a deep, troubling breath, Kaoru ran a hand through his auburn locks out of habit, feeling more childish and panicked as each second ticked by. He could hear someone outside the door pacing back and forth. It was obvious that they seemed to be thinking of a way to handle the situation. And it was also obvious that it was probably Mori who had come to get him. Silence pursued for a few moments before the sound of shuffling quickly met his ears.

-

"Kaoru, come out." Mori's voice was a low, dangerous whisper. It was slightly muffled, as if the boy had been pressing his face against the wooden door. Kaoru found the action most endearing.

-

"And what if I don't?" He sniffed.

-

"Then I'll," _Bang. _"Have to..." _Bang. _"Knock down the...door." _BANG._

_-_

Kaoru's eyes widened.

_-_

Oh, _shit._

-

Rushing to the bathroom door, Kaoru flung it open as fast as he could. Having known Mori for years, he didn't doubt for a second that the boy wouldn't hesitate to fulfill his promise. Stepping out of the bathroom, Kaoru looked around, only to come face to face with a rather ruffled looking Mori. Not a good sign.

-

His expression was unmistakable. '_Get your ass downstairs, now.' _

-

Arching a slender brow in defiance, the auburn-haired boy hunched his shoulders and crossed his arms as if to say, _'Why should I?'._

-

His only reply was a shove into the hallway, followed by a brief kick in the shin bone. Left without a choice, Kaoru swallowed deeply, panic evident by the wideness of his eyes.

-

"Mori," He whispered desperately, "Wait!"

-

He could clearly see the annoyance in Mori's stance, the slight tense in his shoulders. But the boy stopped nonetheless out of semi-pity, turning around to face Kaoru.

-

An awkward silence fell for a while, broken only by the low breathing coming from Mori's direction. Kaoru, who was now leaning against the wall by the bathroom, thought he could hear the faint sound of talking drifting up from downstairs. He tried to ignore it.

-

"I'm scared." He whispered, letting out the nervous breath of air he hadn't known he'd been holding in. It kind of hurt his ego to admit that he was frightened, but he decided some things just had to be done. Sacrifices had to be made.

-

For a brief moment, Mori looked worried. To other people, the look would have gone by unnoticed. However, Kaoru wasn't other people, so he caught the look before it disappeared off of his friend's face completely.

-

Before he could realize what was happening, Kaoru felt two arms circle around his svelte form. They rested on his shoulders awkwardly, as if not knowing what to do, before coming down to rest hesitantly on his back. All Kaoru could do was stand there in shock, at a total loss for words and no idea of what to do next. After all, hugs from Mori were rare things indeed.

-

Despite the shock, he looked up and could feel his mouth grinning wide and terrible. Even without words, he knew what the hug had meant. _I'm right here beside you. _

_-_

"Thank you," Kaoru said gratefully, grinning again as Mori's face turned uncomfortable for a split second. Because in all honesty, he _was _grateful.

-

Squaring his shoulders, he knew what he had to do and it was a relief to know that Mori would be by his side. To know that Mori didn't care if he was afraid. To know that someone would be there to keep him in line if he chickened out at the last moment. Without waiting, Kaoru took a hesitant step forward.

-

A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face and into the crook of his neck. Now a few yards away from his safe haven, Kaoru walked slower than he'd ever walked in his whole life, legs working on autopilot. He felt trapped, almost like a wild animal as it was being hunted. The only difference was that the person out there probably wasn't doing any type of hunting, and _hopefully_ didn't have any cruel intentions in mind. In any other situation Kaoru would have laughed. But considering the fact that his stomach gave an odd lurch every time he tried, the idea didn't really appeal to him at the moment.

-

Gathering up his courage while he could, he grabbed Mori by the arm. "Come on, what are you waiting for? Let's get this over with."

-

Mori did not reply. Instead, and without a word, he started to walk down the stairs, Kaoru trailing helplessly behind. Taking the stairs one by one, he felt his heart beat erratically in his chest. If possible, it felt as if each new step made his heart rate speed up even faster.

-

He was almost at the door when he stopped; he was suddenly finding it difficult to keep his legs moving, now that his last bout of courage was slowly ebbing away.

-

When Mori pushed him and Kaoru stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the hallway, he was wishing he could just disappear - maybe even switch places with someone else for the time being - but he guessed that wasn't possible now. Time was running out.

-

Opening the door with clammy hands, Kaoru felt as though he'd stepped into some kind of tomb or mausoleum. The living room was immaculate: a coffee table with a few up to date newspapers laying organized on its top, partially draped furniture covered with the flotsam and jetsam of his family's life. No more cobweb tapestries hung from the corners. The air was thick and cold, full of disinfectants and cleaners. It wasn't that it was scary to him, really, just disturbing to see the room so _clean_.

-

Waking out of his stupor, Kaoru eyed the room warily before stepping up from the doorway and wincing slightly as the boards creaked harshly underneath his feet. He could still feel the bolts of panic running throughout his body, leaving a tingling sensation in his chest. Twiddling nervously with an auburn lock, Kaoru let out the breathe he hadn't known he'd been holding and turned around.

-

"Kaoru?" An unknown voice asked out.

-

Bowing his head with a sudden fear twisting in his gut, Kaoru silently approached. For a moment the sun glared violently across his vision, forcing him to use a pale hand to block the trespassing light. Trembling slightly, he took another timid step forward. He didn't even have time to prepare himself.

-

"He's so _girly_." The same voice started out slowly, annunciating each patronizing word with such joy that Kaoru quickly whipped his head up in the direction of the voice without a second thought. Just who did this person think he was?

-

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He yelled out quickly in defiance, only to falter as his gaze landed on a familiar head of hair. Kaoru felt himself go stiff with confusion as his eyes slowly took in the person in front of him. His heart beat sped up once again.

-

Speechless, Kaoru did not say a word. However hard he tried, he couldn't comprehend what was happening. Was this some kind of cruel, twisted joke?

-

Same hair. Same eyes. Same _face. _

_-_

'_This can't be real.'_

-

Rubbing at his eyes, he quickly realized that he wasn't dreaming. Auburn hair, green eyes, long legs; they were all there. So that meant...

-

"We're twins." Kaoru stated stupidly, completely dumbfounded. From the corner of his eye, he could see the slightly guilty look appear on his mother's face, whom he now noticed was standing by the fireplace, as well as the amused one on Mori's. His ears heated up instantly as he realized what his friend found so amusing. He'd said not more than a few words and already he was making a fool out of himself.

-

As if to add salt to the wound, the boy in front of him raised his head with the air of a man little accustomed to being contradicted, even to his whim; but Hikaru did not pay the least bit of attention to the tense airs which now surrounded him. Instead, he opted to give a crooked smirk.

-

Now completely embarrassed, Kaoru attempted to incline his head into a polite greeting, hoping to dispel the sudden silence that had taken over the room.

-

Hikaru muttered something incomprehensible without looking at him, but Kaoru ventured a quick glance, and eyed him, hoping nobody would notice the calculating gaze. He also hoped nobody would notice the way his lips were quivering, with all the words he wanted to say but couldn't in fear of offending his brother.

-

"No self confidence." Concluded the same voice of his brother, a voice very similar to his own, albeit a little more husky.

-

Kaoru felt a surge of _something _shoot down his spine, angry and wild like a beast. Whether it was hate or contempt, he wasn't sure.

-

"If I'm going to get nothing but insults, I'd like to be excused." Kaoru stated with a mock bow and sharp eyes, all previous politeness and shyness gone. Rolling his eyes, he wondered if his brother actually thought he'd put up with this. And to think, he'd been scared about meeting this person. The boy was just as girly as he was, if not more so.

-

Unknown to Kaoru, Mori watched this scene silently, an apathetic air floating around his head as he thought. Perhaps, the two's personalities were more different than he had first thought.

-

"I see," Hikaru said with an engaging smile set in place on his pale lips. "_Scaredy cat._"

-

"Why you-!"

-

Apparently, this wasn't how Kaoru's mother had been planning for things to turn out. In fact, it was the complete opposite and in sudden bout of desperation, she yelled.

-

"Kaoru! Hikaru! That's enough."

-

"_He started it!" _Two voices yelled at the same time, causing both boys to whip their heads around and give each other the evil eye. Mori turned to give Yukino a pitying gaze before quickly grabbing Hikaru's bags and helping the woman drag them to his room, leaving Kaoru completely alone.

-

'_This isn't happening, this isn't happening, this isn't happening.' _Kaoru thought desperately.

-

Hikaru stuck his tongue out.

-

'_I can't believe this is happening.'_

-

§ § §

-

**A/N:** Okay, I lied. This chapter was extremely short but I guess that's okay. I finally managed to bring Hikaru into the story. It takes me a while to get longer chapters out because first I have to get the plot going. Hopefully, I'll be able to get chapters up every few weeks now that I've got the main characters together; or if I'm in a good mood, once a week. (Highly unlikely though.) You see, I can be hard working when I want to. And it just so happens, reviewing my writing makes me more anxious to write new chapters for your reading enjoyment! Anyways.

Once again, I apologize for any grammar mistakes or spelling errors. Constructive criticism is appreciated greatly. _Reviews_ even more so. If you want to contact me personally, drop me an email at **suckasuckamegan(at)aol(dot)com**. Flames are appreciated as well, as long as there's a good reason for you to be criticizing my work so harshly. If the reason happens to be because you dislike the pairing, the characters are acting differently or you are homophobic, then I don't understand why you've read this story so far.

**Many Thanks To My Reviewers: **snuffles7571212, catgirrl246, Apeuree A Etre Seul, Flash Drive, Kitty, Ohtori Choutarou, peachtarts, xsophia-loves-youx, MiniMnMs, Liae Ikawani, Murphyangel, Kamly, oOo Endless Rain oOo, ThisImortalPain, Kaname Natsumi, AyamiLee, RizaMustang24, Nekyou86, Miyamashi, and volain. I'm sorry if I forgot anyone. Thank you all so much for reviewing. You make me feel all warm inside.

© Copyright 2007 Incompetence (Fanfiction ID: 984898). All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without the written consent of Incompetence.


	4. Chapter Three

**Genre: **Romance, Humor.

**Rating: **M

**Pairing: **Kaoru and Hikaru.

**Warning: **Language, Incest, Slash, OOC.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters from Ouran High School Host Club.

**Summary: **Life for Kaoru was always enjoyable. He lived in a small, yet humble home with his caring mother, spending his sixteen years of existence peacefully. But suddenly, after receiving a letter from a father he never knew he had, things begin to get a little messy. Especially when he meets his new brother…

**A/N: **Written Thursday, August 13, 2009.

* * *

Two legs crossed each other in the quiet bedroom in an attempt to cause more comfort. The clock on the wall echoed all around, not helping to relieve the stress of the boy suddenly cussing when the innocent _tick _and_ tocks_ sounded more like _splishes _and_ splashes_.

Kaoru had been sitting in his room for what felt like days; and yet, there was no way he was going to even _think_ about leaving. Not even if he had to pee, which was exactly what he had to do right now. There was _no way, _and admitting defeat was not an option.

In reality, he'd been in his room a little over a day, refusing to leave, for fear of facing his brother. _Like a coward _rang softly through his mind, but he chose to ignore that in favor of thinking he was giving the enemy a good dose of the silent treatment.

'_Like anyone could be afraid of __**that**__,_' he sniffed suddenly. '_More like repulsed_.'

Mori had been up to knock ominously and angrily a few times, trying in vain to drag him downstairs when asked by his mother, no doubt. Mori always had had a soft side for Yukino, treating the woman as if she were his own mother. Not that Kaoru really cared today; he was having a life crisis, and if Mori didn't care, then what kind of friend was he? He didn't even bring Kaoru a bottle when he knew he needed to piss.

Giving a sudden groan, Kaoru wrung his legs together and fell to the floor. '_This is exactly what Mori wants. He wants to break my resolve down, piece by piece_.' And what was worse, it was working.

Crawling pathetically to the door, Kaoru weighed his options. On one hand, he could stay in his room and piss himself, possibly blow up his bladder in the process, living in misery the rest of his life. On the other hand, however, he could be a man and run to the bathroom, hopefully ignoring any evil twin brothers on the way.

He had to stop and think for only a few seconds before his mind was made up.

Carefully twisting open the door knob so as to not make any sudden sounds, Kaoru opened the door all the way and with quick, measured and in no way manic swings of his head, surveyed the hall way. To his left there was no danger. To his right…came the sound of heavy snoring.

Bing-o.

Paranoia curling around the edge of his senses, Kaoru took no time to jut forward and run in the direction of the bathroom. Had he been in a particularly observant mood, he would have noticed the table in front of him. But he was currently a man of _need_, so no such thoughts came forth, causing him to bump into it and knock down a picture frame. Well damn, he'd never been a person of stealth. Quickly, he set the things on the table straight and was off once again in his pursuit.

Like an angel sent from heaven, the bathroom door seemed to shine with a holy light as it came into view.

"It's so _beautiful_…" Kaoru whispered to himself, reaching for the knob that would lead to his relief. His fingers had _just _grazed the door knob, only to be knocked out of the way by what looked like a grumpy, slightly deranged version of himself, hair jutting out this way and that. Kaoru felt his insides squish together in alarm, and an indignant retort start up in his throat. It most definitely _was not_ a cry of loss. Men didn't cry. And were in the hell had the other boy come from?!

"Shove it," Hikaru the Morning Devil snarled, venom dripping from his words. "You were loud enough running through the halls to wake the damn dead."

And with that comment, he stepped into the bathroom with his nose in the air and slammed the door shut in front of Kaoru's pale face. Just like that.

Had he come so close to victory, only to have it ripped from his able fingers?

"You…you asshole!" He chose to scream at the door, giving it a solid kick for good measure. The only response he got was the sound of the shower starting, causing him to give more frustrated screams as his full to bursting bladder constricted dangerously.

Let's just say, Kaoru never made it to the bathroom that fine morning.

* * *

"He made me wet myself, Kyouya. Wet myself! Do you know how horrible and embarrassing that is!?" Kaoru, now showered and dressed in a clean pair of clothes, screamed into his mobile phone.

"Hmm…that's unfortunate." Said the voice on the other side, not at all in the least bit pitying. Did the other not understand his suffering?

"I don't think you understand, Kyouya. He made me _piss_ myself!" Not to mention, he'd used up all the hot water, leaving _that_ surprise for Kaoru to find.

"Yes, I heard you the first five times," Kyouya replied in his dark voice, as if to say, _and you're telling me this, why?_

"Okay, look, I need your help." Well, that certainly grabbed Kyouya's attention. Even though silence met him, Kaoru could tell the other male was interested. "You've always been very…adept with certain situations. So, I need you to help me come up with a way to get back at him for making me embarrass myself like that."

"So, you're looking for revenge." Kyouya asked, in a slightly surprised tone. At least, as surprised as he could be.

"Exactly." This was very serious business for Kaoru. He'd never been so embarrassed in his life, so he needed advice from the most secretive person he knew. Kyouya Ootori had been first on his list.

"And what's in it for me?" Was Kyouya's seemingly innocent reply. However, Kaoru had expected this, considering the boy's penchant for only doing things if it in some form or way benefited himself. He'd defiantly make a good business man, Kaoru thought begrudgingly.

"My holographic Pokemon cards you've had your eyes on since second grade? They're yours."

Kaoru only had to wait about five seconds before he got his response.

"Done."

He grinned in victory, cheeks hurting from the effort. When Kyouya began talking again, he was all ears.

"Here's what you're going to do…"

* * *

The next morning, Kaoru woke up before five o' clock; way earlier than he'd ever woken up before, but it was all for a good cause. Queen Alexandria had looked up at him in curiosity with drooping, blood shot eyes before allowing her head to drop back down on his blankets and roll up on top of _his_ pillows. A million dog hairs were left behind, but Kaoru had other plans to take care of at the moment.

Mission: Get Back At Asshole Twin was a go.

Even though the revenge had cost him the better part of his allowance, Kaoru felt deeply satisfied. He was glad in his choice of going to Kyouya, even if that also had cost him his whole holographic Pokemon card collection. He tried not to let the pang of loss grow too deep. He'd had those cards for _years_ but it was the only way. Nobody else he knew was evil enough to fight against evil.

Shuffling through the bags underneath his bed, he grabbed his materials of revenge and stuffed them in the backpack settled on his back. He was even dressed all black for the occasion.

Dressed and with materials at hand, Kaoru left his bedroom, narrowly escaped the hallway table, and made his way into the bathroom that was currently unoccupied. From the distance, he could hear heavy snoring coming from the enemy.

'Good,' he thought. 'Everything's going according to plan.'

Pushing aside the curtains to the shower, he scanned the multiple bottles settled on the ledge. When his eyes settled on the most expensive looking bottle of shampoo, his eyes lit up in triumph.

"He even baths girly." Kaoru mumbled underneath his breath, rolling his eyes.

Opening up the bag on his back with a zip that made him wince, Kaoru pulled out two bottles and quickly shook them up. Moving into the shower, he grabbed Hikaru's bottle of fancy shampoo and untwisted the lid, pouring the two bottles into the other slowly before closing the lid and shaking the hole thing up once more.

It was the easiest revenge he'd ever pulled.

He set the shampoo bottle back in the exact same spot as it had been sitting before, having a feeling if he didn't that his brother would somehow know what he was up to. He wasn't being paranoid, he was just being safe.

Getting the hell out of the bathroom, Kaoru let himself fall down his door to rest on the ground once he was safe and inside his bedroom. Door locked, of course. His mission had been completed. Now, all he had to do was wait until morning.

* * *

Four hours later and still awake was when Kaoru heard the noise he'd been waiting for. A bedroom door opening and closing, heavy, sleepy footsteps stomping to the bathroom and a door opening and closing with the lock in place. The other boy was most definitely not a morning person. Kaoru chose to ignore that neither was he.

Maneuvering into a pair of innocent pants and shirt, clothing that wouldn't catch attention, since he figured black wasn't the best color to be wearing, Kaoru waited about five minutes before walking down the hall and the stairs, dancing his way into the kitchen. Upstairs, the shower stopped.

He greeted his mother with a hug and a kiss on the cheek, grabbed a box of cereal from the pantry and was pouring his milk when he heard the next thing he'd been waiting for.

A scream, followed by what sounded like badly muted cussing. Followed by more screaming.

"Aren't mornings wonderful?" He asked his mom with a happy smile, who had a look of absolute panic set on her face.

* * *

Kaoru had been expecting a punch or some type of retaliation for what he'd done as soon as he came face to face with Hikaru. After all, it was a little obvious as to who it was that'd switched his shampoo.

As soon as the other boy had walked down the stairs, dressed immaculately but with bright, pink hair clashing the image, Kaoru had cracked right away and laughed his ass off.

Yukino had responded with a simple, surprised, "Oh, you changed your hair?" Which left Kaoru to suddenly stop laughing and realize that something felt a little _off_ with the whole situation. One, Hikaru didn't look as pissed as he'd thought he'd be. Two, he had a smile on his face. In fact, he didn't look angry at all, which made him a little angry, if not let down.

"I decided a little change was in order," he'd responded to Yukino's question. He wasn't even angry?! Hell, he didn't even seem embarrassed to be walking around with bright pink hair, which had been Kaoru's damn goal.

Yukino Hitachiin gave Hikaru a small smile, telling him she thought it looked cute, eyes lingering on Kaoru for a few seconds.

"I think it matches you," Kaoru said, small smile on his own lips before going off into a mess of giggling. He hadn't missed the tightening around his twin brother's mouth, signaling the other was anything but happy with his new hair style. So, Hikaru's act of nonchalance was all an act. He'd definitely have to thank Kyouya for this later.

"Thank you, pink's my favorite color."

Now _that_ had been unexpected. Could the guy get any more girly?

"Speaking of favorite colors, what's yours, Kaoru?" Caught off guard by the seemingly innocent question, Kaoru found himself responding.

"Blue. A nice, manly color." He raised an eyebrow in question at the other boy, as if asking him why he wasn't mad.

"Is that so." And with that, Hikaru was gone, mumbling something under his breath that sounded like, _I hope you enjoy the color forever_, and up the stairs once again, leaving Kaoru with his mother who was currently shaking her head.

"Boys," She said, working on getting the pink stained water up off the floor and leaving Kaoru to his own thoughts.

* * *

Two more days had followed and Kaoru had hardly seen Hikaru around the house. When he'd casually asked his mother, she'd told him that the boy was out exploring and that next time he went out, Kaoru should show him around the town. Introduce him to some of his friends

Yeah, fat chance of _that_ happening.

Ever so slowly the bad feeling in his stomach had been lessening. Hikaru hadn't seemed angry anymore, which had been a let down at first, but Kaoru thought it was for the best. At least this way the other wouldn't try to extract a form of pay back on him. And this way, they were even.

The ringing of a phone was what brought Kaoru out of his thoughts, causing him to give a jump as the annoying jingle floated around the room and through his eardrums. Reaching in his pant's pocket and pulling out his cell phone, Kaoru took a glance at the name of who was calling and grimaced. What was Tamaki Suoh doing calling him, anyways?

Letting out a faint sigh and pressing the green button to accept the call, he put the phone up next to his ear, only to have it assaulted by the sound of alarmed yelling.

"Kaoru? Kaoru, where did you go?!"

Eyes widening a fraction in confusion and panic at the tone Tamaki was using, even though said boy had a habit of using it more often than not, Kaoru listened to the distressed questions from his friend before interfering.

"Tamaki! What the hell are you talking about? I'm at home, where I've been all week." Tamaki always had been a weird one.

A loud laugh met his claim, causing a frown to taint Kaoru's lips. "But that can't be true, can't be true at all! After all, my dear friend, we were just having a cup of commoner's coffee when I lost sight of you."

Kaoru's first thought was that Tamaki was going crazy. He'd expected it since the first day he'd met the boy that something was a little off. Kaoru's second thought was realized with a sort of detached, dawning horror.

"Tamaki…I'm not kidding. Were are you?"

"But of course you're kidding. We've been hanging out at the mall for the past hour before you went missing and I had to find you. So I called!" Confusion was starting to take over Tamaki's panic, which was never a good thing. In fact, most of the time Tamaki was never a good thing but he'd somehow made friends with the guy. Life was full of surprises that way.

"Okay, look, you stay were you are and I'll meet you at Starbucks in about thirty minutes. I'll explain everything then, so don't move." And with that Kaoru hung up the phone, cutting off anything Tamaki had been about to say.

Running to the door and pulling on his coat, Kaoru opened the door, yelled over his shoulder to his mom that he'd be back later and took off at a desperate run through the slush outside.

Anger was starting to turn the tips of his ears red as he ran down the streets towards the mall, feet slipping on the sidewalks but he didn't care. Instead of the usual thirty minutes it took him to get to the mall, he instead got to the mall in a record of ten, and he distractedly thought maybe he'd try out for track or something of the like. But first things first, he pushed past a pack of mall rats and raced inside, made his way to the Starbucks and caught sight of his friend Tamaki's blonde head of hair glinting in the distance.

Perfect.

"Tamaki!" He yelled out loudly, ignoring the annoyed looks pointed his way in favor of moving to stand in front of said friend. "I-I made it."

A pair of arms quickly encircled him, swinging him from side to side frantically. He tried to protest but to no avail.

"Kaoru! I was so worried. You'd been acting so weird earlier, I knew something was wrong. Tell Papa what's bothering you!"

"Tamaki! Let _go_!" The shaking was cut off, only to have Tamaki's face right in front of his own, the boy's eyes shining with unshed, dramatic tears.

"Now, shut up. Don't talk." Kaoru barked out, already eyeing the way his friend had been getting ready to rant. "That wasn't me, you idiot."

"You mean, someone's cloned you?! We need to find out who the man was that did this, I'll get my parents to sue him and then-"

"It was my twin brother."

Silence.

"You have a twin brother?" Tamaki shrieked, making Kaoru wince.

"Yes."

"Well that's _wonderful_! I have two sons now! Wait until I tell your mother!" If possible, Tamaki's eyes seemed to glow even brighter than ever. "I knew something was different, and who would have guessed? Twins! Ha!" Tamaki continued to laugh to himself while Kaoru stood there, watching the other as if he were crazy.

"This isn't a good thing, Tamaki. He's crazy." And evil.

"Nonsense, he was just as wonderful to be around as you. And well mannered, to boot. He didn't even complain about drinking coffee with me, which was strange, but nice. The pink hair threw me off a little, as well, but he told me he wanted something new. Even if pink is a little girly."

"He pretended to be me." Kaoru said, anger lacing his words.

"And he did a good job, I'd say!" Tamaki responded, completely ignoring the point.

"He lied to you. Doesn't that bother you?" Because it bothered Kaoru, to be honest. Who gave the other the right to pretend to be him around his friends? And to do it with pink hair! Now everyone would think he was gay.

"Not at all, he did a good job. In fact, you two are so alike it's scary."

Kaoru's eyes narrowed at that. They weren't anything alike. In fact, they were as different as the sun and the moon. "Where is he?"

This caused Tamaki to pause and look at him. "I told you, I lost sight of him when we were leaving to go clothes shopping. That's why I called your phone." He sounded sad when he said the last part, as if he'd actually been having a good time with Hikaru. However, Kaoru could guess that Hikaru had gotten annoyed, just like he would have, and left. "I'm getting worried, to be honest."

"Why would you need to be worried?" Kaoru asked.

"Well, he's new here, isn't he? I doubt he knows his way around town. I hope he hasn't gotten lost…Oh, what if someone has mugged him?!"

As much as Kaoru hated to admit this, Tamaki had a point. The other boy had been here for only a few days and there was no way he could have known his way around. And while Kaoru normally wouldn't care, he knew his mother would kill him if she knew he'd let his own brother get lost or hurt.

"Alright," he sighed pathetically, "let's go find Hikaru." How hard could it be to find the guy? A happy Tamaki with a goal in mind was what led him out of Starbucks and around the mall for the next hour and a half.

Sadly, they had no such luck in finding anything resembling Kaoru.

Slouched and breathing heavily, Kaoru and Tamaki sat defeated on a bench, watching groups of teens walk by, but still no sign of a head of pink hair.

"Tamaki…" Kaoru sighed, "I don't think he's in here anymore."

Tamaki groaned in response before turning around. "I'm sorry that I've failed you." He took a quick glance at the expensive watch on his wrist. "However, I need to be going."

Nodding, Kaoru said his goodbyes and thanks, promising he'd find Hikaru and telling Tamaki he'd introduce the two properly in the future (a lie).

Not even ten minutes had passed since the other left and he get a phone call, this time from his mother.

Answering it in dread, he put the phone up to his ear. "Hello?" He had to sound innocent. He did absolutely nothing wrong by letting his brother get lost and/or possibly die.

"Kaoru?" Yukino's voice held a hint of worry in it. "Baby, when are you coming home? Your brother and I've been waiting about an hour and a half for you to come home. I'm going to start cooking dinner, is there anything you want?"

Oh, hell no.

"Kaoru?"

Death. Destruction. Decapitation. His brother was going to _die_.

"Yeah mom, I'm on my way home."

And just like that, he turned and walked out of the mall. To any passersby, he would have seemed like a normal kid. However, were a person able to peek into his mind, thoughts of blood and violence would have assaulted them. This definitely wasn't good for his psyche.

* * *

Opening the front door with a little more force than necessary, Kaoru kicked off his shoes and threw off his coat, missing the rack. Ignoring his mom's hello, he stalked upstairs, gave his brother's door the evil eye and went to take a shower.

Turning on the water, feeling like he was dead, he pulled his shampoo from the others and started washing his hair. He closed his eyes, letting the hot water that was beating against his back sooth him, intent on ignoring the frustration he was currently feeling. He opened his eyes, only to be met with the color blue running down his face.

Rivulets of the color were all around him, and it was all he could do not to scream. Jumping out of the water naked and slipping to the mirror, he looked.

"_Speaking of favorite colors, what's yours, Kaoru?" Caught off guard by the seemingly innocent question, Kaoru found himself responding._

"_Blue. A nice, manly color." He raised an eyebrow in question at the other boy, as if asking him why he wasn't mad. _

This wasn't happening, he thought for the second time since Hikaru had moved into his home. He pulled a hand through his hair, only to have it come back with streaks of the color on it.

"**FUCK**!"

"Kaoru! I heard that; you're grounded, young man!"

_Now_ he screamed.

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, okay. I know it's been a _while_ since I last updated. But I have a good excuse. Anyways, I'm back and ready to write this story now that I actually can and have the time required. However, I'm going to be re-writing the first chapters because after I read over them, I realized they wouldn't do. Not to mention how horrible they were. Ugh. Hopefully this chapter wasn't as horrible and I've improved a little. Sorry about the short chapter or if it felt rushed at all, I didn't feel like writing a lot right now. I'm throwing up a lot but I was inspired, so I thought maybe I'd update. Sorry about any errors, I wrote this in about fourty minutes.

With love, Incompetence.

**Thanks to:** Vanilla Slash, niwa-k, HiKaoru TwinCezt 'LOVER' 10, takara94, hye, leahh, yaoifan124, DEDE, HI, , MyLiFeIsMuSiC, PirateCaptainBo, Kai's Kitty, KinKitsune01, shishiro, RatsRule, Kichi Hisaki, Kami011, Kehrico, Sceans, The Lolita Doll, DarkElixier66, Tohda, DiGi -former YoshimiKurosaki-, Murphyangel, AyamiYeli, Nekyou86, , Kerrilea, Kaname Natsumi, and AAJ Edward. Thank you guys for reviewing!

© Copyright 2006 Incompetence (Fanfiction ID: 984898). All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without the written consent of Incompetence.


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